ACTIVITIES GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS REVISED JULY 9, 2012 CONTACT INFORMATION Urbandale High School (515) 457-6800 phone (515) 457-6810 fax Urbandale Middle School (515) 457-6600 phone (515) 457-6610 fax Urbandale Administrative Offices (515) 457-5000 phone (515) 457-5018 fax Urbandale Activities (515) 457-6945 phone (515) 457-6949 fax Dr. Bill Watson Activities Director (515) 457-6945 [email protected] [email protected] Activities Website www.j-hawks.com Other Websites Central Iowa Metropolitan League- www.cimlsports.org Iowa High School Athletic Association- www.iahsaa.org Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union- www.ighsau.org Urbandale Schools- www.urbandaleschools.org 2 STUDENT / PARENT GUIDELINES TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission Statements 4 Athletic Affiliation 5 Activities Principles 6 Parent—Coach/Director Relations 7-8 Activities Policies Pre-Season Requirements 9 School Attendance Policy 9 Academic Eligibility 10 Co-Curricular Eligibility Code 11 Participation in Non-School Sports 15 Athlete Ejections 15 Hazing 15 Transportation 16 Activity Awards 16 All Conference / All State Selections 17 Wall of Fame 18 Athletic Training / Injuries 19 NCAA Clearinghouse / College Athletics 19 Fundraising 19 Use of Non-School Issued Equipment 20 Use of the J-Hawk Logo / Split U 20 CIML Sportsmanship Statement 20 3 MISSION STATEMENTS URBANDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Urbandale: Teaching All – Reaching All. URBANDALE ACTIVITIES Through positive experiences in activities, students at Urbandale High School and Urbandale Middle School will be afforded life opportunities that serve to enhance the educational process. EQUITY STATEMENT It is the policy of the Urbandale Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of gender, race, national origin, creed, religion, parental status, age, martial status, sexual orientation, or disability in its education programs, activities, or employment policies as required by Titles VI and VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Iowa Civil Rights Act. 4 ATHLETIC AFFILIATION Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) Urbandale High School is a member of both the IHSAA and IGHSAU. The purpose of these organizations is to promote, develop, direct, protect and regulate amateur interscholastic athletic relationships between member schools and to stimulate fair play, friendly rivalry and good sportsmanship among contestants, schools, and communities throughout the state. Central Iowa Metropolitan League (CIML) The purpose of the Central Iowa Metropolitan League is to enable each member school to operate more effectively and more efficiently in its complete athletic program. This is accomplished by permitting each member school to develop more complete schedules, to limit travel, and to compete with other high schools of similar enrollment. The athletic and activity directors of the league manage the CIML with final authority resting with the principals of the member schools. The league is aligned accordingly, with two conferences: Central Iowa Conference (CIC) Metro Western Eastern Northern DM East Dowling Catholic Ankeny Ames DM Hoover Johnston Ankeny Centennial Fort Dodge DM Lincoln Urbandale Southeast Polk Marshalltown DM North WDM Valley Waukee Mason City DM Roosevelt Indianola Ottumwa Schedules will be generated for each sport with the majority of competition involving other teams in the Western Division and then the CIC. Rotations will be established in some sports to allow for interleague competition. In most sports, both a Division and Conference Champion will be awarded. 2012-2013 marks the first year of this format for the CIML. Ankeny Centennial enters varsity competition in 2013-2014. Urbandale participates in the CIML Middle School League which consists of teams from all areas but Mason City, Ottumwa and the Des Moines Public Schools. 5 ACTIVITIES PRINCIPLES At Urbandale High School the activities program will be governed by the following principles at all times: Student First Approach. The physical, mental, and emotional well being of our students must be at all times our primary concern. Sportsmanship. Coaches/Directors, students, student-athletes, and fans will be held to a high standard in terms of the embodiment of sportsmanship. Coaches/Directors must set the example in displaying good sportsmanship and must demand good sportsmanship of their students. Academics First; Activities Second. Activities can be an integral part of the educational process. Take the time to remind your participants of the importance of their education and the relevance that activities has in terms of their development. Loyalty and Commitment. The development and internalization of these two attributes will enhance our ability to succeed both inside and outside of the arena of activities. Communication. All members of the Activities Community must communicate on all levels with all involved with Urbandale High School and the community. Conditioning. Conditioning, both mental and physical, is a key element in the development of a successful activities program. This begins with proper planning and execution and continues through repetition and hard work. The Total Program. The individual components of the Urbandale Activities Department serve to make up the entire program. Coaches/Directors, students, and parents need to be aware that the needs of the overall program will always be considered first. Win or lose, we will do so as Urbandale High School. 6 PARENT-COACH/DIRECTOR RELATIONS PARTICIPATION IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES IS A PRIVELEGE, NOT A REQUIREMENT. IT IS THE SINCERE HOPE OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE URBANDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS WILL TREAT IT AS SUCH. Both parenting and coaching/directing are very difficult vocations. By establishing an understanding between coaches/directors and parents, both are better able to accept the actions of the other and provide a more positive experience for everyone. Parents have the right to know, and understand, the expectations placed on them and their students. Coaches/Directors have the right to know that if parents have a concern, they will discuss it with the coach at the appropriate time and place. Communication parents should expect from their student's coach/director: • Coach/Director’s philosophy. • Expectations the coach/director has for your son or daughter, as well as other participants in the activity. • Locations and times of practices and contests. • Activity requirements, i.e., fees, special equipment needed, school & team rules, off-season expectations. • Procedures that will be followed if your student becomes injured during participation. Communication coaches/directors expect from parents: • Concerns regarding their son or daughter expressed directly to the coach/director at the appropriate time and place. • Specific concerns in regard to the coach/director’s philosophy and/or expectations. • Notification of any schedule conflicts well in advance. As your student becomes involved interscholastic activities, they will experience some of the most rewarding moments of their lives. It's important to understand there may be times when things do not go the way you or your student wishes. These are the times discussion with the coach/director is encouraged. Appropriate concerns to discuss with a coach/director: • The mental and physical treatment of your student. • What your student needs to do to improve. • Concerns about your student's behavior. 7 It is very difficult to accept your student is not participating or getting as much playing time as you may hope. Coaches/Directors make decisions based on what they believe is in the best interests of all students participating. As you can see from the list above, certain things can and should be discussed with your student's coach/director. Other things, such as those listed next, must be left to the discretion of the coach/director, and are not appropriate to discuss. Issues NOT appropriate for discussion with your student's coach/director: • How much participation or playing time each student is getting. • Team strategy. • Play calling. • Any situation that deals with other students. There are situations that may require a conference between the coach/director and parent. These are not discouraged, as it is important for each party to have a clear understanding of the other’s position. When these conferences are necessary, the following procedure is suggested to help promote resolution to the issue. If a parent has a concern to discuss with the coach/director, the following procedure should be followed: • Call the coach/director to set up an appointment. • If the coach/director cannot be reached, call the activities director and ask to set up a meeting with the coach/director for you. • Think about what you expect to accomplish as a result of the meeting. • Stick to discussing the facts, as you understand them. • Do not confront the coach/director before, during or after a practice or contest. These can be emotional times for both the parent and coach/director. Meetings of this nature do not promote resolution of the situation, but often escalate it. What should a parent do if the meeting with the coach/director didn't provide satisfactory resolution? • Call the activities director to set up a meeting with the activities director, coach/director,